11th Hour Kiss
by MirrorDede
Summary: Break/Mad Hatter and Alice/B-Rabbit must make a contract with each other in order to save Oz, whose time is almost up. The contract will be sealed with a kiss, but Break…has never been kissed. Goes on to include mpreg Oz, OC, lots of fluff. CRACK.
1. Chapter 1

_This suggestion came up in the kink meme: "Break….never been kissed."_

_So here we go…_

_Premise:_

_Mad Hatter and B-Rabbit are the only two chains that can kill other chains. But if the powers of B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter join forces, they can create life (yep, this is the point where I start making things up). Break and Alice must join together and make a contract with each other in order to save Oz, whose time is almost up. The contract will be sealed with a kiss, but Break…has never been kissed._

**11****th**** Hour**

"I'm only doing this for Oz's sake," said Alice, hands on her hips. "I really hope making a contract with you doesn't help save _you_, too."

"Hmmm," said Break, smiling slightly, "actually, making a third contract like this might just kill me."

"Hrmmph." Alice looked self-satisfied.

Oz looked up from the book he was reading.

"What?" he said, sounding surprised. "This…procedure might kill you, Break?"

"Indeed, Oz-kun. We don't know for sure," he said, tapping his cane on the ground. "Alice and I both will probably be affected…positively or negatively, we can't be certain."

Alice and Oz looked at each other; Oz more worried than Alice.

Break continued, "You understand that after we do this, the powers of B-Rabbit will be stripped away from Alice, and the powers of Mad Hatter will be stripped away from me, and all our power will go to Oz. He – and he alone – will be strong enough to destroy the Abyss. At least that's what Pandora thinks will happen."

"Well, that's fine…after all, he's supposed to be the hero or something isn't he?" Alice's voice contained a note of contemptuousness, but her face was fearless, and showed she was proud of Oz and how far he had come in the year they had known each other.

Oz looked down at the floor. _How can I let them do this…for me? _

"I'm not worth it," he said, rubbing the place on his chest that showed the illegal contractor's seal, now at 11 o'clock. "Don't take the risk…Alice…Break…I don't want to…"

"Oz, if we don't do this we'll both get thrown into the Abyss," said Alice, looking impatient, "and that clown is going to die anyway." She looked at Break. "What do we have to do?"

"Hmm, the same thing you did when you made a contract with Oz. In this case though, we both have to say the words 'Please enter into a contract with me' at the same time."

"And then we kiss, to seal the contract," said Alice, matter of factly.

"Uh… yes," said Break, hesitantly. He looked down at the ground and bit his lip.

"What's wrong, Clown?" said Alice. "Don't want to kiss me?"

"It's not that...I-"

"Well, I'm not exactly looking forward to kissing _you_."

"That's too bad," Break muttered under this breath. "I was hoping that my first kiss would be with someone who really… liked me."

"Your _first_ kiss?" Oz exclaimed. "Are you saying you've never been kissed before?"

"That's right. " Break glanced away and pressed his fingers against his lips.

"You're kidding," said Oz. " No, you're _not_ kidding…you're blushing! Wow, even Break blushes sometimes!"

The white-haired man had a faraway look in his eyes. "I have lived my whole life in service to one house or another, and I've never had an opportunity to…you know…be with anyone… in that way."

"If you've never kissed then you're probably still a virgin, too!" Oz laughed.

"Hehe, well, you needn't say that," muttered Break, turning pinker than before, grasping his cane tightly in both hands, and twisting it back and forth.

**Stay tuned for Chapter 2!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2 preface:_

_The transfer of Mad Hatter and B-Rabbit's power to Oz's body could be dangerous or even fatal to Break, Alice and Oz. But the research from Pandora indicated that if the contract between Break and Alice succeeded, Oz's new power could wipe out the Abyss and chains forever._

_Gil, Liam and Sharon joined Break, Alice and Oz in the room. They were there to watch over the process and help out if needed. They may not have been aware however, that they were about to witness Break's very first kiss._

Break took a deep breath.

"Shall we begin?"

Alice nodded.

Break out stretched his hands toward hers, and they locked their fingers together. He pulled her close and nodded to Liam who gave the signal:

"Begin."

Simultaneously, Alice and Break said the words that would join them and their powers in a contract with each other.

"Please enter into a contract with me…"

Break looked at Alice's lips and his eye grew wide…his lips trembled in anticipation.

Alice looked at Oz for encouragement – he was grinning nervously – and then leaned closer and pressed her lips against this silly man she cared nothing for.

Break leaned forward to meet her kiss, and felt the pressure of warm, wet lips against his…_So smooth, so…ah…it's like custard_…He nibbled back clumsily, then without thinking, opened his mouth.

Her lips opened, and she felt a tongue slide inside_. What is he doing?_ Unconsciously, she began sucking on his tongue. _Somehow it's like…meat_.

Meanwhile, Gil was blushing furiously, hands in his pockets, Liam was teetering back and forth on his feet and trying unsuccessfully to whistle, Sharon looked half-romance-fangirl, half-jealous, and Oz was trying not to laugh.

Break and Alice pulled closer, so lost in each other they didn't even think of the people watching.

_Why am I liking this?_ thought Alice. _This man is so creepy, but…until this moment, I've never felt so wanted and cared for in my life. I've always felt so alone, but now…I feel so connected…to him._

Break felt his lips tingling with a rush of blood, and sensations began to arise in other parts of his body; parts he'd thought were long dormant. He moaned a little and exhaled into her mouth.

Her arms clung tightly to him. _Never leave me! The others always left me…but you can't! You must love me, need me, want me…_

_I want you!_ Her held her face with his hands and kissed with a passion that had waited a lifetime to be released. His whole body trembled, and with it, the room was racked with a violent tremor.

Sharon fell into Liam's arms, Oz into Gil's. A great rush of wind came swirling out of Break's eye socket and knocked Oz and Gil off their feet. Mad Hatter's power collided with B-Rabbit's, and the two chains swirled about each other in a dance of lustful madness. Free of any bodies to host them, Mad Hatter and B-Rabbit swallowed each other, and their power compressed to a tiny embryo. The embryo floated around the room, watched by the curious eyes of Gil, Oz, Sharon and Liam. It approached Oz, moved closer and closer to his abdomen, and then disappeared inside his body. Oz clutched his stomach in horror and curiosity.

"Oz!" gasped Gil.

"It's okay Gil," said Oz, rubbing his stomach. "It doesn't hurt. It kind of tickles."

Then they turned to see that Break and Alice had collapsed on the floor, still wrapped in each other's arms, their lips warm and wet from kissing.

Break and Alice awoke side by side in bed, holding hands. They looked at each other and sat up. Oz was next to the bed, looking fondly at the two of them.

"You did it!" he said, showing them the place on his chest where the illegal contractor's seal used to be. "And you're both still alive!"

"Alive indeed," said Break, rubbing his eyes. "I can even see again!"

"This is amazing," said Alice, putting her arms around herself. "I'm not a chain anymore! I'm a human again!"

"Me, too," said Break. "In fact, I feel more human than ever."

"What? We're you a chain before?" said Oz.

"Well…that's a seeeecret!" said Break, putting his finger up to his lips.

"I have a secret, too," said Oz, grinning. "I'm pregnant with the child of B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter."

"What!" Alice and Break said together. 

"I'm a little nervous about the birthing process," said Oz, "but from what I understand the child will contain the power to destroy the Abyss. Isn't that cool?"

Alice and Break looked at Oz in awe.

"If it's a boy, I'm going to name him Jack," Oz continued. "I'm looking forward to telling him his life's purpose. Every kid needs to know why he was born. I'm totally going to be there for him. I'll be the kind of Dad I never had…"

Alice and Break smiled slightly, then grinned, then all three of them collapsed into a heap of hugging and laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Story So Far:** _B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter left the respective bodies of Alice and Break, and formed an embryo that now resides in Oz's body. It is now several months later, and Alice and Break have become inseparable. Bring on the fluff…_

"I'm not sure why I didn't like you before," said Alice, between bites of apple. "You really aren't so bad."

"Hoho, I always liked you Alice," Break chuckled, "Even when you were throwing furniture at me." He put his hand on her knee and gave a little tickling squeeze. Alice laughed and threw back her head, her hair a waterfall of dark braids.

_I love her laughter_, Break thought. _It's so different now than it was before...its like a clear running stream that sparkles in the sunlight_ And indeed, since B-Rabbit had left Alice, she was a very different girl. She was still strong, bold, and opinionated, but virtually all malice and vindictiveness had left her spirit, and nowhere was that more evident than when she laughed.

Oz had just come into the room, his pregnant abdomen leading the way.

"Hi!" he said, grinning and lumbering up to the chaise lounge where he took a seat next to Alice.

"My how you've grown, Oz-kun!" remarked Break. "When is the baby due, ah?"

"Anytime now," Oz said, rubbing his tummy.

Alice leaned over and placed her ear over top the bump.

"I think it wants to eat meat," she announced, sitting up. "Oz should eat more meat. For the baby."

Oz laughed. "It's funny, I've been craving meat actually. And candy, too. Wonder why?" He winked at Break.

Break smiled and put his arm around Alice's shoulder.

"I'm glad you two are getting along so well," Oz said sincerely. "I'm not even jealous."

"You're not jealous?" Alice's brow furrowed.

"Hoho, Oz is keeping busy with Gilbert these days, ah?" Break grinned.

Oz blushed. "Gil's been doing a lot of cooking for me…and stuff."

"'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' Sharon-onesan taught me that," commented Alice. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, Oz." She turned to Break, started to bite his cheek, and then remembered proper kissing technique.

"You know I've been thinking," Oz waxed philosophical, while Alice and Break made out next to him. "Break's deep hatred for the Intention of the Abyss allowed him to obtain Mad Hatter as a chain. He could use Mad Hatter to negate her creations. Alice was similar…she used B-Rabbit to destroy the chains birthed by the Intention of the Abyss who hated her. But…" Oz paused to take a deep breath, for his breathing had become more difficult in the later stages of his pregnancy. "But even more powerful than destroying and negating something…is the power of creation. And the power to create is forged by love. So true power is born out of doing something for someone you love. Love is much stronger than hate ever will be."

Break came up from one of Alice's smothering kisses and managed to say, "I think you may be right, Oz-sama."

Alice looked at Break. "Does that mean if we keep on kissing and stuff that maybe one of us will get pregnant, too, Xerx?"

"Hopefully if anyone gets pregnant, it will be you, dear," said Break, smothering a laugh behind his hand.

"I want to create life!" Alice declared, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "I want to have a baby like Oz!"

Break turned at least three shades of pink and took a deep breath.

"That's great Alice!" Oz said supportively. "And in the meantime, you can help me care for whatever it is I'm about to birth. We still don't know if it will be born as a baby or fully grown. But if it's a baby, I'll definitely need help with diaper changing." He grinned his glowing smile, and took his leave.

_Up next….Oz gives birth!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Story so far: **_Pregnant Oz is about to give birth to the child that developed from an embryo created by B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter!_

Gilbert was pacing the hallway, chain smoking and running his fingers through his messy mop of hair when Break and Alice showed up. Oz's moaning sounds came through the door quite clearly, and Gilbert was sick with worry.

"Can we go in?" asked Alice.

Gilbert shook his head.

"Oz didn't want anyone to see him this way. He said he'd call out for help if he needs it."

"How is the baby getting out of his body?" Alice queried. "Sharon said babies come out a vagina and Oz doesn't have one of those…so…he must have some kind of hole, right?"

Gilbert and Break looked at each other and cringed simultaneously.

"S-sure…Alice-kun," stuttered Break. "But…ugh… I really don't want to even think about it."

Oz moaned again, more loudly than before.

"Maybe I could sneak in and check on him, ah? There's a cabinet in there, right, Gilbert?"

"No!" Gilbert tossed his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "Oz said no one. NO ONE!"

"Not even you, eh? That must hurt. Poor Gilbert."

"Shut up, Break."

Just then Oz let out a deep guttural groan. Gilbert bit his lip and pressed his hand to his head. Alice curled up into Break's arms and they embraced each other, waiting...just waiting.

Then a few moments later the door opened and Oz stepped out - a bit wobbly on his feet, his brow soaked with sweat.

"It's a girl, I think…come see?"

"Are you okay, Oz?" asked Gilbert. "Your night shirt's all bloody!"

"I'm fine Gil," said Oz, his voice a bit shaky. "Just kind of tired and…sore."

They stepped inside the room, where the sounds of a baby's laughter rang out, giddy and clear.

"Babies don't usually laugh when they're born, do they?" muttered Break. "They usually cry. How strange…"

Gil, Break and Alice crept up to the bassinet and peered inside.

"It's kind of…cute," Alice commented.

"Such big eyes," added Break.

"It's…it's…a _rabbit_!" Gil sputtered.

Sure enough, Oz's baby was a white rabbit with floppy ears and red eyes. Her laughter was sweet and infectious. Soon all of them were laughing along with her.

"I want to name her April…April Hare," announced Oz, gazing fondly at his daughter.

_Stay tuned find out how April Hare grows up!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Story So Far:_ It is no longer the 11th hour really, since Oz's contractor seal is gone and he is no longer in danger of being thrown in the Abyss. In the last chapter, he gave birth to a sweet, sassy little girl rabbit named April Hare. Alice and Break are still very much in love…fluffy fluffy.

April Hare's idyllic childhood was full of family outings. On a typical day, she would hop merrily to the park for a picnic with Daddy Oz, Mommy Gilbert, Uncle Break and Aunt Alice, her floppy white ears bouncing all the way.

Until she grew too big for it, she loved to curl up in people's laps and let them stroke her soft white fur. But by the time she turned nine she was already four feet tall, and had to settle for resting her head on someone's lap and letting them pet her between the ears.

Just after her tenth birthday, they went on a picnic one fine spring day. It was a long walk to her favorite picnic site, in the backyard of what used to be the old Nightray mansion. That yard was full of the wild carrots she loved to nibble on. Daddy Oz and Aunt Alice were now fully grown adults…Mommy Gilbert was lugging the picnic basket, and Uncle Break tended to lag behind the group on their walks, since age had made him a bit sluggish and he relied on his cane more and more.

"Let's race!" said Oz, looking at April.

She frowned and said, "No. I don't like to play games with winners and losers."

"Hmm," said Oz, thoughtfully. "You prefer to play cooperative games, now I remember. That's okay!" He grinned. "Let's run together and hold hands!"

April agreed and the two of them took off ahead of everyone else.

Alice looked back at Break and smiled wistfully. As he caught up to her, she took his arm and he leaned on her a bit for support.

Gilbert moved the heavy picnic basket to his other arm and sighed. In the past he would have grumbled about being the one who always ended up preparing the food and carrying the basket, but copious praise from Oz and the others about his cooking skills and arm strength had helped to mollify his bitterness somewhat. All in all, life was pretty good for Gilbert. He had Oz; and Break and Alice had become less annoying since they spent so much of their time and energy on each other. And little April really was a ray of light in their lives.

"Bring on the candied meat!" said April, when the picnic blanket was spread.

The picnic that day was mostly unremarkable; it played out like any other picnic the group had together. Break had grown his hair long again, and Alice loved to braid it for him. Then he would braid her hair in return, and the two fell asleep together, their heads in each other's laps. April played a trick on the two of them and braided some of their hair together, so when they arose they would be attached to each other, unable to separate.

_Up next:_ April turns fifteen and attends her first Pandora meeting.

[Okay it could be argued that Oz should be the Mommy since he was the one who birthed her, or you could argue that Oz and Gilbert should both be Daddy because they are both guys, but somehow 'Daddy Oz' and 'Mommy Gilbert' is what felt right to me, so I just went with it.]


	6. Chapter 6

**Story So Far:** _Oz's daughter April Hare will somehow be vital in destroying the Abyss and its chains; at least that's what Pandora thinks. But will a youth conceived in love truly have the will to destroy and negate like the B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter chains whose passion for one another brought her into being?_

[BTW I know this story is chock full of crazy crack ideas! Hopefully they will give you ideas for your own stories. This is the first time I've ever attempted an Original Character in one of these here fanfics. In case you're having a hard time picturing April Hare, I figure she is kind of a cross between the white rabbit version of the Intention of the Abyss, and Max (the rabbit thingy) from "Sam and Max Freelance Police" (with pink ribbons).]

April Hare grew into a sweet young rabbity thing, loved by all and sundry. Doted upon by Oz, Gil, Alice, Break, Sharon and all the other friends and family in her life, April was never lonely; never lacked for anything. Unlike a certain girl named Alyss (aka "the Intention of the Abyss") and her twin Alice, April was never locked away in a tower, left to subsist on the company of stuffed animals and dolls, with a pet cat as her only living regular companion. She was never forced to invent imaginary friends for company, or birth "chains" from her womb of creativity, or to create from her toy box an abyssal world of unspeakable horror that would cruelly punish all who dared to hope for a better life.

Soon after April came of age and had gone through her presentation ceremony, she attended a Pandora meeting for the first time.

Duke Liam Lunettes (whose family had succeeded the Nightrays after they had been virtually wiped out and Elliot and Leo had run off together to start a new orphanage) introduced her to those present, and told her the plan that Pandora had been hatching for many years, since before her birth.

"April-sama," he began, adjusting his bifocals. "Pandora holds you in high esteem, and we have invested in you great hope. We sincerely desire that you will rise to meet your destiny and help all of mankind by destroying the Abyss and its chains, once and for all."

"What good will that do, Liam-sama?" April said, cocking her head to one side, so that the pink ribbons around her ears jiggled a bit.

"April-sama," Duchess Sharon Rainsworth spoke up from behind her fan. "The Intention of the Abyss has been reeking havoc on our world for generations. We must stop her!"

"You sillies," said April. "The Abyss doesn't need to be destroyed. You just need to give Alyss what she wants. She wants to get out of that room where she's trapped and have a _social life_…duh. Once she has that she won't need to keep making chains to keep herself company."

"It isn't just the chains that are troublesome," said Liam, looking down at his papers for moral support. "The sacrifices that, er, 'Alyss' requires in the form of 'dead people,' eh…you can see where this is going I think." He shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"So, you don't want chains to kill people anymore." April folded her arms in front of herself in a knowing gesture. "Well, it's simple. You just bury some dead people in the graveyard next to Lacie so she won't be lonely anymore…duh! I mean, if you were dead and buried in a graveyard all by yourself, wouldn't you want some company?"

There was a lot of muttering among the assembled group and after a moment, Sharon rapped the table with her fan to call people back to order, and spoke:

"Although I have some personal doubts as to whether a deceased person such as Lacie would care if anyone lies in repose near her grave, this is a potential solution we have not tried. I propose that as people in the Dukedom pass on - naturally or due to illness - we simply choose Lacie's gravesite as a place of rest for their remains."

There was a bit of commotion and then someone asked:

"What is the connection between Lacie's grave and the Intention of the Abyss?"

"Oh you know," started April, twiddling a lollipop in her fingers, "Lacie died in childbirth when she was giving birth to Alice and so Glen was all mad and thought Alice never should have been born so he locked her away, and then Lacie became a ghost and gave birth to the Will of Abyss."

"How do you know all this?" Sharon asked.

"March Hare told me," April declared.

The whole room looked at Liam.

"Hoho, that Liam, he always knows more than he lets on," whispered Break to Alice.

"So now all we need to do is have a tea party and invite Alyss," April announced. "Then we can get to know her and become friends!" She smiled happily. "I think she'll like it in our world so much she will want to stay." April popped a wrapped candy into her mouth and continued, "Alyss can stay the night in my room until we find a new place for her to live…"

"Excuse me, Miss April-sama," said another Pandora member. "How do you propose that we…invite the Intention of the Abyss, er, Alyss, here? She has always been near impossible to contact and communicate with."

"I think Uncle Xerxes and Aunt Alice might know how to get in touch with her…"

More murmuring came from the group. Someone said,

"How can we take this rabbit clown seriously? She doesn't know what she's talking about…"

Liam spoke up, "She may look like a rabbit, but my March Hare has spent some time with her, and I know that she has a human heart inside. Yet she has the perspective of someone who stands outside of humanity, as an observer."

"That's right," April continued. "I know what the human heart needs to be at peace…it needs love!"

All eyes turned to Break and Alice, who were sitting together, holding hands under the table.

"April is right," said Break, turning his gaze toward Alice. "Alice and I can contact the Will of Abyss and invite her to a tea party held in her honor…I think she will be very pleased at the company."

_Up next:_ Alice and Break go visit Alyss with a very special invitation


	7. Chapter 7

S_tory So Far:_ Alice and Break have been tasked with contacting the Intention of the Abyss (Alyss) to invite her to a tea party in their world.

Since Alice and Break were separated from B-Rabbit and Mad Hatter respectively, they had not been hasty about creating a new legal contract with a chain. And when they were finally ready to do so, they both had difficulty finding a chain with which to resonate.

After reading _The Wonderful World of Chains_, by Rufus Barma, they learned that some chains prefer to make contact with multiple contractors at once. That's when they got the idea to approach a chain together, in hopes that that the two of them could find a chain they could share. This is how – ten years ago – they had managed to make a legal contract with Braid.

Braid was very useful for travelling between far places, and because it was partly spun from black feathers (courtesy of Raven, Jabberwocky, Gryphon, Dodo and Owl), it could be used to create a portal to the Abyss.

In this way, Alice and Break were able to climb into a cabinet in Rainsworth's tea room, link hands, and use Braid to travel to the grandfather clock in Alyss's room.

During the journey (which lasted only a few minutes, but seemed much longer), Alice and Break both recalled the conversation they'd had earlier that day.

"Alyss hates me," Alice had stated firmly.

"And I hate Alyss," murmured Break, looking at Alice's boots as they stomped the floor. "But we need to do this. For everyone's sake. We need to find out the truth…"

"I don't really care about the truth…but I know it's important to you Xerx." Alice put her arms around him and pulled him close for a kiss, the sort of nibbling kiss she excelled at.

"I just want to get this over with so we can live in peace," Alice whispered to Break as they travelled via Braid's power to the heart of Abyss. Break raised her hands to his face and kissed them by turns.

"I'll do the talking," he whispered. "You can stay in the clock so she won't see you at first." Both of them knew that Alyss's hatred for her twin sister could derail their plans. They came to Braid's end and pushed open the grandfather clock's front panel.

"Greetings, young lady," said Break, smiling widely at the white haired girl who was standing just a few feet away, playing with one of her dolls. She turned quickly and looked at her guest, astonished.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am called Xerxes Break," he said, bowing_. I hope she doesn't recognize me_, he thought. _She might get the idea to tear out my right eye with her bare fingers just as she did the left._

"You look familiar." Alyss dropped her doll and wandered over to Break, then put her hands on his face.

Alice watched from inside the clock, and jealousy brewed in her like a bitter tea. She balled up her fists and gritted her teeth.

"Your red eye reminds me of Cheshire," she continued, brushing aside his bangs.

It was all Alice could do to keep herself from shouting out, "He's mine! Get away from him!"

Alyss gasped in surprise when she saw Break's empty eye socket.

"You! You were the one who gave your eye to Cheshire!"

"Not exactly willingly, Miss," Break muttered. He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. "Erm, the reason we…I've…come here today is to invite you to a tea party. In our world. We can travel together through the clock here…"

"Oh, kind Sir, I cannot leave here." Alyss said, shaking her head. "Glen would have my head, I'm sure."

"You needn't worry. Glen won't find out." Break winked. "Shall we go?"

Alyss's eyes lit up and she smiled. Seizing the moment, Break grasped her hand and pulled her into the clock. Break put his arms around Alyss and clasped the hands of Alice, who was behind her. In a shadowy rush of wind, Braid whisked them back to Rainsworth manor.

_Up next:_ The tea party begins!


	8. Chapter 8

_Story So Far:_ Will of the Abyss (aka Alyss) has been invited to a tea party in the garden at Rainsworth manor…

()

Break, Alice and Alyss came tumbling out of the cabinet in the tea room at Rainsworth manor, and landed at the feet of Duchess Sharon Rainsworth.

"Ah!" exclaimed Sharon, grinning widely. "I'm so pleased to meet you!" She extended a hand to Alyss.

Alyss took her hand and stood there, unsure what to do next. She had lived her whole life in the Abyss, and had not been well schooled in proper social graces. Break – knowing that Sharon would love to coach Alyss if given the opportunity – quickly intervened.

"Is the tea party prepared, Milady?" he asked. "If so, I suggest we hurry, before the sweets are all gone!" 

"The only one who is going to make the sweets all disappear is you, Break," said Sharon, pulling Alyss by the hand out into the garden.

Alice stayed behind, hoping her twin sister would not notice her. She crept out into the garden a few minutes after everyone else, and sniffed around for the barbeque table.

Alyss gasped at the display of sweets, and shielded her eyes from the glaring sun.

"What is that bright light?" she asked.

"Alyss-kun, that is the sun," said Sharon, smiling sweetly. "It provides us with warmth and light."

"Warmth and light," repeated Alyss, her eyes full of wonder.

"Have some cake, Miss Alyss?" Break offered a plate of cheesecake, and resisted the urge to snatch it back before she could eat it. _She's not going to be any fun to tease, _he thought.

She took the offered plate and smiled.

"It smells wonderful!" she buried her face in the cake and ate with the same clumsy abandon that Alice used to devour meat.

From down the garden path, a number of new guests were arriving. Members of Pandora, and nobility and servants from the four duke houses were coming to attend the tea party held in Alyss's honor. When they rounded the bend by the rosebushes, one by one, their mouths dropped open at the sight of her. White hair, white skin, white dress…her ghostly presence glowed with magnificent beauty.

()

_Okay here's where I have to state that I will not be working on this story for a while, and the honest truth is, I may never finish it! I fear I have too many plot bunnies running around here, and not enough inspiration to continue. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed, and I hope some of my ideas – however cracky they may be – will help inspire some of your own fics._


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